Child Welfare Practice

Catalog description

This course examines child welfare and family policies in the United States. We will explore the development of policies over time, and how they are shaped by ever-changing cultural norms and values. Course readings and class discussions will focus on the links between social and economic inequality, social problem definitions, and the kinds of policies that are proposed to address problems related to children and families. In particular, race, gender, economic status, nationality, religion, and other nexuses of social difference play a key role in the way people interface with child welfare’s many policies and programs. We will foreground these concepts as we critically examine child welfare policies and programs in the context of historical and contemporary American values. Topics include: child abuse, neglect, education, foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, and parenting.